What to do in case of a boo-boo

[Coryphodon]

Hello guys,
I believe this has never been posted in this forum, but I was wondering whether in case of a mistake, there is a way to unglue a couple of pieces of
Balsa wood.
Perhaps holding these on top of a casserole full of Boiling water for 2 minutes could do the trick?
In any case, thanks for your help

[Brenda]

What type of glue? CA you need acitone. Epoxy I find C-4 might loosen it up, or atomic bomb. White wood glue that has cured is not bothered by water. So to debond white glue I use castor oil.

[Billy Mc]

As Brenda said, it depends on the type of glue used. If it is only a small joint or two I carefully cut the glue with a hobby knife. Warning, the pressure you need to apply could result in breaking the balsa or serious injury if any body part is in the path of the knife.

[dirk gently]

I suppose you could loosen epoxy with a hot soldering iron (or regular music wire heated up over the oven).

[Steve Blanchard]

Duco and Ambroid can be loosened with Acetone. CA can only be unglued with debonder from the company that makes the CA. Acetone will not effect the CA. I build with thin CA and the best way to address a mistake is to gently cut the parts apart or remake the parts and replace them.

Steve

[zoomie]

As Brenda and Billy said, it all depends on the type of glue being used.

Plain old PVA white glue - like Elmer's Glue-All - will easily dissolve with water if you submerge the assembly for a few minutes. Same with most glue sticks.

The light yellow or cream colored aliphatic resin wood glues come in so many different formulations these days that there just isn't one pat answer that would apply to them all. I've used rubbing alcohol to loosen Titebond Original bonds, wrapped the joint with a piece of alcohol-soaked washcloth and gave it an hour or so. Water immersion might loosen some brands if left to soak overnight. Titebond has a helpful website that is a good guide for solvents to be used for TB II, TB III and their other exotic stuff.


No experience with polyurethanes like Gorilla Glue but a bit of Googling should find most info you're looking for .


zoomie

[Coryphodon]

Thanks for your input
I used Elmer's white glue, in any case I learned the lesson, never
hurry and double check before cementing.

[tail spin]

I have been using "Zap a gap" Gap filling CA but soon to change to a thin set due to weight. I have considered using the Tightbond or the Elmers wood glue for setting items that are in need for the small adjustments when a CA could instantly zap it, Just in case the glue joint slip out of its "sweet spot it gives more working time. I am open for suggestions on that subject of Glue. I have always used acetone to debond ca but...

[zoomie]

I learned the lesson, never
hurry and double check before cementing.

That's always a good procedure, but once in a while mistakes are just gonna happen. That's why it's good to know how to undo things sometimes .

If using white glue or wood glue for building frames, I've found it best to thin it a little. This makes the glue easier to work with and helps to keep the weight down, and your joints will still be plenty strong. Three to four parts glue to one part water works best for me, exact proportions aren't critical. My mixing tray is a plastic coffee can lid and the glue and water is measured by the drop and mixed as needed. My models are on the smaller side so a very few drops go a long way. If your model is 20" wingspan or less and you're willing to carefully sand-to-fit your joints, thinned white glue makes a pretty decent stickum for a number of builders. When dry, the glue is rubbery-feeling and has some shock-absorbing qualities in collisions.

Thinned wood glues like Titebond Original sand nicely. Thinned white glues like Elmer's G-A don't seem to sand nearly as well but the glue in the joints dries transparent and isn't as noticeable as TB.

I started using this method to force myself to learn good new building habits by making close-fitting joints using much less glue. Now, the wood is cut slightly oversize and sanded for a precise fit. Used to cut the wood slightly undersize and slop full-strength glue on the joint to fill any gaps, resulting in a weaker structure and more weight gain. The way you like to build your models will determine which method you use.

About de-bonding: I believe rubbing alcohol will loosen a white glue joint quicker than just water. Just paint it on with a small brush and wait a few minutes. Sure beats having to submerge the whole structure and watch it fall apart under water .

tail spin, the full-strength (undiluted) wood glues you mentioned should serve as an excellent substitute for gap-filling CA and give you longer open time as you suggested. Are we talking larger R/C models here? As mentioned previously, there are so many new wood glues out there it might be best to post this question again on a R/C forum to see which of the new glues their modelers like and are building with.


zoomie

[tail spin]

I learned the lesson, never
hurry and double check before cementing.

tail spin, the full-strength (undiluted) wood glues you mentioned should serve as an excellent substitute for gap-filling CA and give you longer open time as you suggested. Are we talking larger R/C models here? As mentioned previously, there are so many new wood glues out there it might be best to post this question again on a R/C forum to see which of the new glues their modelers like and are building with.


zoomie

Not RC, Only Free flight rubber and "peanut scale" . I guess I am just afraid of creating a "glue bomb" and fishing around for the best methods of gluing .